Spirit of Acadiana: King of the Krewe of Chick-fil-A

Not only was Kevin Melancon named the inaugural King of the Krewe of Chick-fil-A, but he is also celebrating his 20th anniversary as an employee at the restaurant's Ambassador Caffery location.

That celebration and the title were fitting tributes to the dedicated employee and now newly crowned king, "King Kevin is a good idea. It's good to be the king,” Kevin said.

"He's such a welcoming spirit and that's what he does for us here at Chick-fil-A," Annette Arton said. "Everybody that comes in knows Kevin and always gets a smile from Kevin, always gets good service from Kevin. I think he does more for Chick-fil-A that CFA could ever do for Kevin."

Adhering to Carnival custom, a parade took place on Saturday with King Kevin leading the way. As for his anniversary, which is Monday, Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator John Arton and plenty of guests showered Kevin with gifts.

Kevin received a plaque, chocolate, and a Chick-fil-A jacket.

"Oh my God," Kevin exclaimed as he pulled the jacket out of the bag. "It's a big honor for 20 years. I’ve been here long enough, done my work, I do everything, and 20 years is like a long time.”

John Arton had this to say as Kevin opened his gifts.

“Well the first thing you told me was you were only going to work for 5 years,” Arton said. “You said you had to take care of your daddy after five years.”

Kevin has stayed on at Chick-fil-A for an additional 15 years. At 45 he has no desire to ever stop. He puts in 20 hours a week and Arton said when it comes to Kevin and his customers,

“They see the same person they've seen 20 years ago, same one with a smile, same one with a service attitude and it's every day."

He is royalty in so many ways. The crown, regal robes, and whether it is about celebrating his 20th anniversary or being the King of the Krewe, Kevin is flattered by the attention.